Collapsible wrapped folding box structure



Sept. 5, 1961 LANGE 2,998,907

COLLAPSIBLE WRAPPED FOLDING BOX STRUCTURE Filed May 21, 1952 United States Patent 2,998,907 COLLAPSIBLE WRAPPED FOLDING BOX STRUCTURE Ferdinand Lange, Minden, Westphalia, Germany, assignor to Werner Bahlsen, Hannover, Germany Filed May 21, 1952, Ser. No. 289,122 Public Law 619, Aug. 23, 1954 Patent expires Mar. 9, 1970 I 4 Claims. ((11. 229-20) The present invention relates to a collapsible wrapped folding box structure which can be used particularly as a container for foodstuffs such as cookies, candies, etc., cigarettes, or, if made in larger size, as a bag for concrete or the like.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a box structure of the type described which can be easily brought from the collapsed condition into the erected box structure. I

It is a further object of the present invention to pro-, vide a box structure which can be pushed into, and out of, a pliable member forming the outer wrapping of the box.

A collapsible wrapping folding box structure according to the invention comprises an inner shape-determining collapsible foldable box member of relatively stiff sheet material composed of a plurality of wall elements connected to one another and adapted to form a complete innerformer box structure, and an outer pliable wrapping sheetmember having a part secured with its inner face to the outer face of one of the wall elements of the inner shape-determining collapsible foldable box member, so that the pliable wrapping sheet member might be folded about the inner box member when the same forms the complete inner box structure.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises an inner shape-determining collapsible foldable former box member of relatively stiff, but foldable sheet material composed of a plurality of substantially rectangular wall elements hingedly connected to one another and adapted to form a complete inner box structure, and an outer pliable wrapping foil member having a part secured to one of the rectangular wall elements at the one end of the inner foldable former box member, so that the pliable wrapping foil member might be folded about thevinner box member when the same forms the complete inner box structure and entirely envelopes the same.

A wrapped box structure according to a preferred embodiment comprises, a former box constituted by a rectangular former sheet of relative stiff foldable sheet material having two parallel overlapping end portions and an intermediate portion between the same, the intermediate portion having a plurality of parallel transverse equidistant creases normal to the length of the former sheet, and the end portions being spaced from each other a distance substantially equal to the distance which adjacent creases of said intermediate portion are spaced from each other so that the former box has a shape corresponding substantially to that of a rectangular prism the thickness of which is equal to the distance which adjacent creases of said intermediate portion are spaced from each other; and a wrapping sheet of pliable material secured to one of said end portions of said former sheet, and wrapped about said former box.

Preferably, side walls are secured to one end portion and have a height corresponding to the spacing of the transverse creases.

The novel features which are considered as character: istic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, to-

ice

gether with additional objects and advantages thereof, will bebest understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional side elevation of the box structure shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a composite blank used for making 'the box structures shown in FIGS. '1 and 2; and

, FIG. 4 is a similar plan view of the composite blank with one blank element partly folded.

It should be understood that the collapsible foldable box member consists of relatively stiff sheet material such as cardboard whereas the pliable wrapping foil member consists preferably of paper impregnated with or covered by a thermoplastic synthetic material which is waterand steam-resistant.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 to 4, the blank of the inner shape-determining collapsible foldable box member consists of a plurality of rectangular wall elements hingedly connected to one another, the wall elements includingtwo end wall portions 21 and 22, the strip-shaped parts 25,

the strip-shaped part 23 forming in the closed position the bottom of the complete inner box structure, and the lid portion 24. The end wall portion 21 is much smaller than the end wall portion 22. The strip-shaped parts 25 and 23 are hinged by parallel score lines or creases 30. The strip-shaped parts 25 have dimensions equal to those of the strip-shaped bottom part 23 so that the creases are equidistant. The end portion 21 is secured to the inner face of a part 51 of the outer pliable Wrapping foil member 26. The end wall portion 22 is provided with lateral strip-shaped portions 27 and 28 hingedly connected respectively, to the lateral edges of the end wall portion 22. The said lateral strip-shaped portions 27', 28 formthe narrow side walls of the erected inner box structure formed by the collapsible foldable former box member 21 to 25.

As will be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, the collapsible former box member formswithin the outer pliable wrapping foil member 26 a container having a height small in comparison to the length and width thereof and which can be adapted to different sizes of chocolate bars, or cigarettes, or the like to be packed within the box structure. Furthermore, this structure is specially adapted for packing chocolate bars having an upper surface of smaller areav than the lower surface thereof so that their cross-section forms a trapezoid as indicated in FIG. 2. Also, the chocolate bar can be easily moved into or'o'ut of the wrapping foil member 26 by pulling or pushing the end wall member 22 so that it projects more or less from the wrapping foil member 26 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 In shifting the end wall member 22 in this way the stripshaped portions 25 form one after the other the bottom of the complete inner box structure, the strip-shaped part 23 lying flush with the end wall portion 22 as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2; I

The pliable wrapping foil member includes a substantially rectangular part 50 of equal dimensions as-the part 51 to which the main part 21 is glued and furthermore, a narrower portion 52 which serves for complefing the sleeve-shaped wrapper enveloping the inner for mer box erected of parts 21 to 28. The part 52 is glued to the outside of the part 51. 1

The lateral strip-shaped portions 27, 28 extend in the V erected inner box structure as far as the end portion 21 to which the wrapping sheet 26 is secured at 21a as will be clearly seen from FIG. 2. FIG. 3 shows the compo} site blank including the pliable wrapping sheet andjlth e stifi sheet of the former box. FIG. 4 shows the blank of the former box folded over about the last crease 30a.

unease? i It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of folding box structures differing from the types described above.

While the inventionhas been'illustratedand described as embodied in a collapsiblewrapped folding boxstructune, it is not intended tobe limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural-changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention. 7

Without further analysis, the foregoingwill so 'fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the-generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and-are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as'new-anddesired to lie-secured by Letters Patent is:

l. A composite blank adapted to'be formed-into a box comprising, in combination, an elongated substantially rectangular inner blank-of relatively stiff foldable sheet material-said inner blank'having two end portions and an intermediate portion between thesame, said intermediate portion having a'plurality of parallel transverse creases normal to the length of said inner blank and being spaced substantially equidistant from each other so that said endportions may be brought into such overlapping relationship with eachother that said end portionsare substantially parallel to each other and are spacedfrom each other a distance substantially equal to the distance which adjacent creases of said intermediate portion are spaced from each other, said inner blank, when said end portions thereof are in-such overlapping relationship, forming a box at least a portion of one side wall of which box is constituted by one of 'saidend portions, atleast a portion of-the opposite .side wall of which box is constituted by the other of said end'portions, and a base wall of which box which joins said side walls is constitutedby apart of said intermediate portion which lies between two adjacent creases so that the box has a shape corresponding substantially to that of a rectangular prism the thickness of which is equal to the distance which-adjacent creases of said intermediate portion are spaced from each other; and an outer blank of pliable material firmly secured to that face of one of said end portions of said inner blank which, when the latteris folded so as to form a box, is an outerface of such box, sothat said outer blank may be wrapped about said inner blank when the latter is folded so as to form a box, and may entirely envelop such box. 7

2.,A composite blank adapted to be formed into a box comprising, in combination, an elongated substantially rectangular inner blank of relatively stiff foldable sheet material, said inner blank having two elongated end portions, two elongated sideportions on both sides of one of said end portions, respectively, and capable of-being bent relative to said one end portion in such a manner that said side portions are opposite and facing each other and an intermediate portion having a plurality of parallel transverse creases normal to the length of said inner blank and being spaced from each other a distance substantially equal to the width of said side portions so that said end portions may be brought into such overlapping relationship with each other that said endportions are substantially parallel to each'other and are spaced fromeach other a distance substantially equal to said "atlleast a portion of the opposite 'end wall of which box is constituted by the other of said end portions, two opposite side walls of which box are constituted by said side walls, respectively, and a base wall of which box which joins said end walls is constituted by a part of said intermediate portion which lies between two adjacent creases so that the box has a shape corresponding substantially to that of a rectangular. prism the thickness of which is equal to the width of said side portion and consequently to the distance which adjacent creases of said intermediate portion are spaced from each other; and an outer blank of pliable material firmly secured to that face of one of said end portions of said inner blank which, when the latter is folded so as to form a box, is an outer face of such box, so that said outer blank may bewrapped about saidinner blank when the latter is folded so as to form a box, and may entirely envelop such box.

3. A wrapped box structure comprising, in combination, a former box constituted by a singleelongate'd substantially rectangular former sheet of relative stifi foldable sheet material having two end portions and an intermediate portion between the same, said intermediate portion having a plurality of parallel transverse creases normal to the length of said former sheet and being spaced substantially equidistant from each other, said end portions being arranged in such overlapping relationship with each other that thesame are substantially parallel to and face each other and are spaced from each other a distance substantially equal to the distance which adjacent creases of said intermediate portion are spaced from each 'other so that said former sheet forms a box at least a portion of oneside wall of which box is constituted by one of said end portions, at least a portion of the opposite side wall of which box is constituted by the other of said end portions, and a basewall of which box which joins said side walls is constituted by a part of said intermediate portion which lies between two adjacent creases, said former box thus having a shape corresponding substantially to that of a rectangularprism the thickness' of whichis equal to the distance which adjacent creases of said intermediateportion are spaced from each other; and a wrapping sheet of pliable material'firmly secured to the outer face of one of said end portions of said former sheet and wrapped about said formerbox.

4. A wrapped box structure comprising, in combination, a former box constituted by a single elongated substantially rectangular former sheet of relative stifi foldable sheet material having two elongated end portions, two elongated side portions'on both sides ofone of said end, portions, "respectively, and an intermediate portion between said end portions, said intermediate portion having a plurality of parallel transverse creasesnormal to the length of said former sheet and being spaced from each other a distance substantially equal tothe width of said side portions, said end portionsbeing arranged in such overlapping relationship with each other that the same are substantially parallel to and faceeach other and are spaced from each othera distance substantially equal to said width of said sideportions and said side portions being arranged in such overlapping relationship with each other that the same are opposite and face each other so that said former sheet forms a box at least a portion of one end wall of which box is constituted by-one of'said end portions, at leasta portion of the opposite end wall of which box is constituted by the other ofsaid end portions, two oppositeside walls of which box are constitutedby said side walls, respectively, and a base wall of which box which joins said end walls is constituted bya part of said intermediate portion which lies between two adjacent creases, said former box thus having a shape corresponding substantially to that of a rectangular prism the thickness of which is equal to the width of said side portions and consequently to-the distance which adjacent creases of said intermediate portion are spaced from each other; and a wrapping 5 6 sheet of pliable material firmly secured to the outer face 870,398 Ward Nov. 5, 1907' of one of said end portions of said former sheet and 1,923,452 Neumiller Aug. 22, 1933, wrapped about said former box. 1,933,516 Rosen Oct. 31, 1933- 2,358,802 Glover Sept. 26, 1944 References Clted 111 the file Of (1118 patent 5 2,479,456 Arthur Aug 1 1949 UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS 370,481 I alik s t.27, 1887 ez ep 15,000 Great Britam Sept. 14,1905 

